Google LLC today launched a raft of new devices ranging from a new flagship Pixel 5 phone and a Pixel 4a phone with 5G capability to a Nest smart speaker and a Chromecast media streaming device paired with a Google TV service.

“Given what’s going on today, Google’s north star of being helpful to people feels more important than ever,” Rick Osterloh, senior vice president of devices and services at Google, said at the company’s “Launch Night In” virtual event today. “There are a lot of things weighing heavily on people’s minds right now and not everyone has access to the usual outlets that bring us comfort and relief. Things like connecting to family and friends, traveling or even simply going to the movies have been challenging.”

Among the products Google announced today that hewed to that “north star” were a Google TV and the Nest Audio, which are entertainment-focused, and the delivery of faster 5G wireless service to its phones, which enables them to do video streaming and provides better connectivity for video calls.

Google Pixel 5

The new flagship phone from Google will be the Google Pixel 5, a 5G phone with a Snapdragon 765G processor, 6.2-inch organic light-emitting diode screen and a powerful camera as is expected on most of the Pixel-line of phones.

Like most modern mobile devices, it is waterproof against rain and can be charged wirelessly. The phone also has a fairly good battery that can last up to 48 hours on a single charge with its “Extreme Battery Saver” mode, and in a pinch can charge itself more quickly with a rapid charge.

It also has a safety feature that will automatically call 911 if it detects a sudden acceleration event such as would occur during a car crash.

The Google Pixel 5 will sell for $699 and ship Oct. 15 in nine countries.

Google Pixel 4a 5G

The Google Pixel 4a released in 2019 only had access to 4G networks, but the new one has access to 5G networks. It sports the same camera as the Pixel 5 and it is currently Google’s most affordable phone. It has an edge-to-edge OLED display and a highly efficient battery. It will start at $499 and begin shipping on Oct. 15 as well.

Chromecast with Google TV

As for entertainment, Google has a voice-activated remote with an all-in-one Chromecast with Google TV interface, which will take over any television and turn it into an entertainment center. The remote comes in three different colors — “Snow,” “Sky” and “Sunrise” — and has a minimal number of buttons so that it’s as not overwhelming as modern-day remotes can be.

Movies and television entertainment will stream in up to 4K quality from numerous services, including Google TV, YouTube, Netflix, Hulu and others.

“For many families, TV is the heart of entertainment in the home,” said Shalini Govil-Pai, general manager at Google TV. “I remember growing up in India when my family would come together to watch TV. It’s usually a Bollywood movie and it was the only thing on TV. Now there’s so much it can literally take more time to choose something to watch than to watch the content itself.”

It is designed to be largely voice-activated – just speak to it like one would any other Google product and the TV does the rest. It uses an artificial intelligence-driven curated system connected to a customized entertainment to deliver content. In this fashion, it’s designed to get out of the way of the viewer and give them back control of their content. Google TV can also make the TV into a photo frame to display pictures when idle or play music.

Chromecast with Google TV will be available for customers in the U.S. for $49.99 in October and other countries soon.

Nest Audio

These tiny speakers can be placed anywhere in the house and will deliver powerful sound wherever they are. Google’s latest smart speakers, now called Nest Audio, look very similar to the original Google Home, covered with a mesh fabric, and the internals are apparently quite powerful.

According to Google, Nest Audio is 75% louder than the Google Home speakers it replaces and has 50% stronger bass response. Its enclosure housing is made of 70% recycled plastic.

“We spoke to sound engineers, musicians and audio specialists on our own team,” said Mark Spates, product manager with Nest Speakers at Google. “They told us that there are three key things that you have to get right in an awesome smart speaker: more bass, more volume and maintaining that natural clear sound.”

The devices also include a microphone that can listen to commands and execute them on other Nest systems in a smart home or on smartphones, like any other smart device.

Of course, the most expected of these commands would be demands for music, which the speakers deliver from YouTube Music.

All Nest Audio devices will network with other Google audio devices, including Nest minis and Google TVs, and are aware of their locations once configured, so that they can be “told” to play sound according to where the user wants.

The new Nest Audio speakers will cost $99.99.

Images: Google